Check out my new translation!
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"This young lady is as brilliant as ice and snow, her IQ stands tall like a rooster among cranes—there's no room left to improve. Using something like this on me would be a total waste."
Sushang analyzed seriously. Then she proudly presented her greatsword: "But the Xuanyuan Sword is different. It's our family's ancestral treasure, nurtured by generations. Its power is already quite remarkable. If I awaken its intelligence, its combat strength will definitely leap to a whole new level! Compared to using it on myself, the cost-performance is far higher."
Yes—logical, reasoned, and convincing.
Sushang was very satisfied with herself.
Hearing that, Guinaifen blinked and hesitantly corrected her friend's Xianzhou idiom: "Uh… Shangshang. It's 'a crane standing among chickens,' showing how the crane stands out far above the rest. If it's 'a chicken among cranes,' then you wouldn't even be able to see the chicken."
"Ah? Is that so?"
Sushang patted her head, her gaze turning slightly vacant.
Sylvester, bored, let his mind drift.
Hmm… or maybe chickens also like long legs?
Then the idiom might describe indulgence in excessive desires—similar to decadence?
Of course, Sushang couldn't hear Sylvester's inner thoughts. She silently repeated the correct idiom a few times; once she was sure she remembered it, she stopped caring.
Compared to little flaws in cultural knowledge, the Curio before her was far more important.
She looked at the Stone of Enlightenment in her hand, delighted.
Hehe, see? That empty can earlier was clearly just an accident.
Look—her luck had already taken a turn for the better.
All she needed now was one strong push, and she'd definitely bring home a top-tier Curio!
She lifted her chin proudly and strode back to the shelf.
Little trash cans, be good and hand over your best Curios!
Using her "advanced experience," she again selected one from a remote corner.
She rubbed her hands together, anticipation fully charged.
Chanting "gold purple gold purple" nonstop for dozens of seconds, she suddenly reached out, ready to catch the best Curio off-guard in a single decisive strike.
This—this was the essence of Cloud Knights' combat strategy: strike where the enemy is weak; outnumber the few with the many!
"Open!"
Fiery brilliance shot out.
Sushang let out a scream: "Aah!!!"
Another white flash!
Clearly, the trash can understood strategy even better than she did—landing a perfect sneak attack on her confidence.
"Uu~~"
Her little face instantly crumpled with grievance.
Too cruel! Why does it always strike me the hardest when I'm most confident?! Why do both empty cans always come at exactly the worst possible time?!
Previously one blue, one white; now again one blue, one white—this was psychological torture!
"Sigh, Miss Sushang, don't be sad. This kind of thing is totally normal. You're not the unluckiest one."
Sylvester sighed lightly and offered consolation.
Because he genuinely understood the feeling.
Blue skies and white clouds—that's something he himself had experienced countless times.
But fortunately, now he was the house!
Others might lose or win big, but the house? The house never loses.
Sushang pouted, playing with her fingers.
Blue white blue white blue white… huh?
After chanting it countless times, she suddenly had an epiphany; it was like a light bulb lit beside her head.
She suddenly laughed. "Hahaha, I get it now!"
"You—you get what?" Guinaifen felt her heart tighten like it was hanging by a rope.
Did she snap? Lose her mind from stress? No way—Shangshang, it's only two million Credits, we're not at that level, right?!
Sushang curled her lips into a wicked grin. Patting her chest, full of confidence, she declared, "I've figured out the pattern behind the trash cans' drops!"
Sylvester: "?"
Guinaifen: "?"
"Really? Shangshang, tell us quick!" Guinaifen pressed anxiously.
Sushang might not be the best at analysis, but even fools have flashes of insight. Maybe from her perspective, the whole thing really is simple?
Ahem, I didn't say Shangshang isn't smart. I'm just citing an ancient proverb.
Sylvester took a sip of tea, amused, ready to hear her "theory."
Sushang swayed her head like an old scholar in a drama and explained her "research findings."
"Did you notice? When I opened cans, it was always one good, one bad, alternating."
Sylvester interjected: "But my unluckiest customer once drew nine greens and one blue. Completely different from your pattern."
"Hmph. I knew you'd say that."
Sushang showed a "just as expected" expression and continued: "That's because my mentality changed. Whenever I was overconfident, full of pride, I'd draw a bad can. But whenever my heart was calm, or when I threw everything into one desperate gamble, I always got a good result."
She spoke each word with emphasis: "This—this is the secret to opening trash cans!"
"Oh, really?" Guinaifen thought back to her own feelings earlier and compared them to what Sushang described.
Hmm… there did seem to be similarities? Could it be that Shangshang really cracked the trash-can secret?!
She quickly turned to Sylvester, hoping to confirm through his reaction.
But she was disappointed—Sylvester was still eating sunflower seeds and sipping tea.
Guess… that wasn't it?
"I'll prove it to you!" Seeing Guinaifen's wavering faith and Sylvester's spectator attitude, Sushang decided to demonstrate her theory personally.
"Go ahead," Sylvester waved, offering a polite blessing: "May fortune favor you. Please come again."
Heh—doesn't matter whether she finds a pattern or not. Even if she did, so what?
She'd still come to spend money on Curios. Unless she could magically pull items out without opening cans, he had nothing to worry about.
Young people—are so happy when they give their money to the house.
Tsk tsk… the house really is the most evil creature in existence.
But… he was very happy.
Sushang stood before the shelf, closed her eyes, and adjusted her mentality. To maximize her "all-in resolve," she recited:
"Immortals fall, generals fight to the end. Cloud Knights perish in droves, and all hope rests upon the lone Cloud Knight Sushang standing here. O trash can, victory or ruin—lies with you!"
With a shout, she gripped the handle and yanked it open.
Guinaifen grew even more anxious.
With such a chuuni speech… if it came out white again…
Shangshang, you must endure—huh?!!!
Guinaifen's frantic mind executed a sudden 180-degree turn.
Her thoughts were reduced to a single word:
Ah?!
Because the trash can in Sushang's hands—sparkled gold.
Shangshang, I worship you!
Guinaifen's eyes sparkled like stars at her friend.
Sushang stood tall, dominating the scene—her pride impossible to hide.
Today, she, Sushang, would finally shed the nickname "Pillow-Head" once and for all!